One minute, the standing-room crowd is in full din, and the din is considerable. The Blue Jackets are leading by two goals, it feels like they’re going to take a surprisingly firm grip in their first-round playoff series, and Nationwide Arena sounds like Niagara Falls.

In the next minute — more accurately, in the next 2 minutes, 13 seconds — it’s as if the Pittsburgh Penguins have brandished the sword of Zorro, and they are putting it back in their scabbard. Fwip, fwip, fwip, and the Blue Jackets are falling.

So it went. The Penguins scored three goals in 133 seconds early in the third period and held on to beat the Blue Jackets 4-3 last night.

“I’m pretty rattled right now,” center Ryan Johansen said in the immediate aftermath.

The odd-numbered games can loom large in a best-of-seven series. The Penguins lead the series 2-1. They have wrested the momentum the Blue Jackets gained in Game 2, when they came from behind and won in double overtime in Pittsburgh.

It happened just like that — fwip, fwip, fwip.

At 5:53 of the third, Penguins defenseman Paul Martin sent a slap shot from the right point through a screen in front of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The shot was redirected by Penguins forward Brandon Sutter. Bob had no chance.

At 7:03, Penguins forward Lee Stempniak, on a rush, put a wrist shot over Bobrovsky’s glove and under the crossbar. Stempniak was all alone. Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky took the blame, saying he lost his check in the neutral zone.

At 8:06, Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta sent in a slap shot from the left point. The puck was tipped by Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen, then it caromed off Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski, then it shot past Bobrovsky. Bob had no chance.

The Blue Jackets had this game. They led 2-0 in the fourth minute of the first period (much like the Penguins did in Game 2). They had a 3-1 lead in the third period (reminiscent of the Penguins’ 3-1 lead at the first intermission of Game 2). They let the Penguins off the deck (much like the Penguins did in Game 2).

(See any patterns?)

It is true that there were some troubling aspects to the Jackets’ Game 3. They were outshot 41-20, including 15-5 in the third period.

Part of the reason was they took seven penalties, which is too many, even if at least one of them — Nick Foligno for unsportsmanlike conduct — was baffling. Even if there is as yet no feel for the way the calls are going in this series. So it goes. Remember that noncall when Fedor Tyutin hooked Sutter on a breakaway in Game 1?

“I’m not going to comment on officials or calls or noncalls,” Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. “It does me no good. It does the team no good.”

On the positive side of the ledger, Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and company continue to do fine work on Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal.

Bobrovsky remains in fine form on most shots he can see, and many that he cannot. Although there are adjustments to be made, the Blue Jackets’ forecheck remains formidable. The Penguins defense can be pressed, and their goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, could lose his lunch at any time.

“We’ve been good all year at letting one game go and getting on to the next one,” Johansen said. “I want to play again right now — and I mean right now. I honestly would put my wet gear on and get back out there. That crowd was awesome.”

That is the requisite spirit. This is the playoffs, and this series might not even be half-over yet.

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